Cleveland radio personality Chad Zumock issues statement after OVI arrest

CLEVELAND - The Cleveland radio personality and comedian accused of hitting a tree while driving drunk knows this is no laughing matter.

Shortly after 3 a.m. Friday, 37-year-old Chad Zumock was driving on Lake Avenue in Lakewood when he went off the road and hit a tree, the police report said. The former sidekick on the Alan Cox Show on WMMS refused a breathalyzer test, and was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence.

On Tuesday, Zumock emailed the following statement to NewsChannel5:

"Have you seen my mugshot yet? I'm pretty sure it's worse than Nick Nolte's. But I guess I now have my next comedy album cover, so I've got that going for me."

"Please know I am taking this incident very seriously. I'm very sorry for all the damage this has caused."

"I will say this: Working at WMMS was meant a lot to me on so many levels. I put my heart and soul into the show and I hope a lot of you saw that."

"I bleed Cleveland. This is my city and the best people in the world live here. We love a good come back. Let me get my act together and I'll show you a great come back."

"Thank you, Chad Zumock"

At the beginning of the Alan Cox Show on Monday, it was mentioned that Zumock’s contract with the station was up and it was not renewed. We have yet to receive a statement from WMMS.

He joked that he would catch up on his reading, but for the most part, he’s exploring other options in Cleveland media and calling himself a “free agent." Zumock's standup CD “Adventures in Argyle” is available on iTunes.

The comedian was not injured during the crash. He was also charged with failure to control and a seatbelt violation, and pleaded not guilty.